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The role of "Ben Son/Hikite" (pulling hand) in Taekwondo and Korean arts

The role of "Ben Son/Hikite" (pulling hand) in Taekwondo and Korean arts

Hi. I was wondering about the use of "Ben Son" known in Japanese as "Hikite" or pulling hand and its role in Korean arts (, mainly in Taekwondo). The pulling hand is used in abundance in basic movements and in the forms (both Chang Hon Ryu and Kukki Taekwondo) and I was wondering about its role in the Korean arts vs its role in Karate and other South eastern arts application wise, both mainstream and how you and your Dojang teach it.

In the old Karate texts the pioners of Karate pretty much say it straight out what the pulling hand is (E.g in Karate-do Kyohan by Gichin Funakoshi he states that Hikite means to grasp the arm or limbs of the oponent and pulling him in while twisting to unbalance him. Simular explanations are found in the writings of other pioners like Kenwa Mabuni, Choki Motobu etc). What does the Korean masters write about the subject of the pulling hand? And what do you yourself think?

Seeing as most korean arts are derived in quite large part from karate (shotokan in the case of TKD for example) then it stands to reason that the hikite hand *should* be put to much the same use.

However, in common with many karate practitioners the closer range grappling/grabbing aspects of earlier forms of karate were not passed on very well to the founders of the korean arts (if at all).

As such the only real use I've heard (or seen written) for it is "the reaction hand" and then some pretty ropey link to newtonian physics and equal and opposite reactions and how it can develop power.

There are some exceptions. Authors (and occasional posters here) Stuart Anslow and Matt Sylvester are doing much to bring that closer range and practical limb control/grabbing aspects back into TKD while still retaining the non-karate flavour TKD has developed over the intervening years (Stu in particular).

I agree with Mr. Smith has said. It should not make a difference if you look at TKD or shotkan karate. In fact, there was already a therad on this topic here on Iain´s site. So it might become somewhat rdundant what we exchange here.

The idea is of course that both hands are involved in some way. No onse is allowed to sleep. If it pulls, that´s fine. If it pushes, that´s fine too, or am I mistaken? (In shinod yohsin ryu hands push!)

If you practices air karate or tkd it´s a good idea to concentrate on the pulling hand, since you avoid to tension your attacking or blocking hand!

If you use weapons that you have to hold in both hands (bo or sword for example) you will find that both have to do something. And in fact, if they do different jobs the effect increases:-)

Have fun!

Harold

P.S.: A simple application I did to a hgihg ranked jiujitsu-ka. He hold (my angles of) my hands, I made hikite, he pulled back and I gave him a morote-zuki that he had to sat down and got quite angry about it ;-)

Hi and thanks for the replies guys. I know that the retreating hand has been discussed from a Karate perspective, and yes I am aware that the Korean arts are very much based on Karate (mostly Shotokan it seems), and so I would suspect they are emplyed much the same way. But wheras Karate focusses on trapping and capturing of limbs to pull the oponent off balance and have this in writing from the pioners of Karate, I was wondering if the Korean arts had found a "Taekwondo way" or reason for the retreating hand.

As pointed out by PA Smith the only thing I have read that supports a "Taekwondo way" or Taekwondo reasoning for the pulling hand is the Newtons laws of physics. This was written by General Choi Hong Hee founder of the ITF/Chang Hon Style of Taekwondo, however you still have the writings of Henry Cho ("Taekwondo Korean Karate"), the Kukkiwon Textbook, and recently many other publications by high ranking masters of Kukkiwon style Taekwondo that does not mention the newton physics reason at all.

The most recent publication I have is the "What is Taekwondo Poomsae" by Master Lee 9th dan. He writes (this is from memory only) that you extend your hand to defend or protect your vital points while setting up the technique. He does not give any practical examples but this is a uniqely idea that I have not encountered in other arts.

Another Korean master (Master Lim 6th Dan Hapkido) taught that the pulling hand should only be used in the first techniques of the fight. He meant that the hand on the hip was consealed and therefore harder to block or defend against. He had his chambered hand more to the back than usual. This too I have not seen in other arts. (Wether this is effective or not is another discussion).

So now we have 3 different reasons for the pulling hand (newton physics, protecting vital points, and consealment of the hand before punching, striking) . As I have said before, the practicality of these reasons/methods is another discussion. Personally I subscribe to Iain Abernethys approach and so my Taekwondo becomes a little closer to Karate than mainstream Taekwondo.

I also teach the pulling hand as a way for clearing obstructions, grabs, unbalancing etc like you would see in certain Karate Dojo. I have found that this way of using the pulling hand is very good for applications of the Kukki Poomsae that I teach and learn. Allthough I see that 99% of Taekwondo there is no reasoning for the pulling hand or they subscribe to one of the 3 reasons above or perhaps to the mostly used: "more power" explanation:)

From a Karate perspective I have read in Funakoshi's book, Karate Do Kyohan (Neptune publications version) the following: "Hiki-Te – pulling hand, the moment you block the opponent's fist, you grab and pull his fist towards you. In doing so, you attack him. The fact that you pull him in towards you means that you are disabling your opponent from using his waza (technique) and making him lose balance. At the same time, the effectiveness of your fist increases; this is most important [this is what I think is meant by the third explanation of the Hiki-Te to add power to your punch]. It is even more effective if you can pull-in with a twisting motion rather than just pulling."

I have written a brief article about the Hiki-te for my students, if you can give me your e-mail address I would be more than happy to send it over to you. An example of what's in there is included below:

The enemy is threatening you with their right hand. With your right hand you reach up and seize their arm, you then pull it towards your hip (this being the purpose of the Hiki-Te) and as you do this you step forward to deliver the punch to an open area.Hope this helps,

From a Karate perspective I have read in Funakoshi's book, Karate Do Kyohan (Neptune publications version) the following: "Hiki-Te – pulling hand, the moment you block the opponent's fist, you grab and pull his fist towards you. In doing so, you attack him. The fact that you pull him in towards you means that you are disabling your opponent from using his waza (technique) and making him lose balance. At the same time, the effectiveness of your fist increases; this is most important [this is what I think is meant by the third explanation of the Hiki-Te to add power to your punch]. It is even more effective if you can pull-in with a twisting motion rather than just pulling."

This book and the quoted paragraph has always made me wonder how the meaning of the pulling hand could be lost to the point it is today in mainstream Karate and the korean arts. The Korean masters studied sometimes directly under Gichin Funakoshi, and GM Hwang Kee learned some of his Hyung from the writings of Funakoshi. Surely the book Karate Do Kyohan by Funakoshi, and the writings of other Karate pioners (Mabuni, Ohtsuka etc) must have been read by the Korean Karate pioners? Did they miss this paragraph completly? The excact same paragraph is still found in the newer eddition of Karate do Kyohan printed in the 1950s (this is the one I have in my collection).

Why do you think this got lost in Karate (and Shotokan in particular) when it is so clearly stated what the pulling hand is supposed to be doing?

i don't think that you can discount the way the Japanese changed the original Okinwan concepts and approaches. many of the "rounded" techniques and applications were transformed into a direct linear forward attacks. Most of the grappling was removed. even the throws were minimized.

there are many interlocking reasons for this (non competition with Judo, influence of western art and concepts, the need to make it competitive with ranking), and i am not sure which is the most important, but this proscess was well underway before the Korean masters became part of it.

I enjoyed "practicing" with TKDka very much but I have felt that they don´t know what they do as any other sports karate person. There are historical reasons why karate in Japan got uninvolved in locking and throwing techniques. Due to their system those were related to jiujitsu and judo. Karate was for kicking, punching and blocking techniques. Thus, Mr. Funakohin´s origin got forgotten.

But you have to adapt hikite to the circumstances you live in. If you are a bunkai man you would defend against an attack with one hand, the other hand (hikite) simultaneously grabs the mobile phone, calls Iain and asks questions with respect to the context.

Beside joking, if a hand goes back, it grabs a weapon! That´s the moment you should go in

Beside whole body movement that might be a practical hint of doing hikite.